Hartford, Conn. - The Trinity College women's lacrosse defense came up with several key stops late to preserve a one-goal lead which was the difference in a 6-5 victory over the Bates Bobcats on Saturday afternoon. Trinity improves to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) while Bates drops its first game of the season, falling to 6-1 on the year.

The first half scoring came in waves of three as Trinity jumped out to a 3-0 lead before allowing three unanswered goals by the Bobcats to tie the game as the teams entered the half. Sophomore Kiley Coffey (West Newbury, Mass.) broke the scoreless game just under eight minutes in with a free-position goal for the Bantams. Less than a minute later, junior Clare Lyne (Concord, Mass.) netted her first of three goals as she cut in front of the net and received a slick pass from junior attacker Emma Malicki (Loudonville, N.Y.) that she fired past Bobcat goalie Hannah Jeffrey (Greenwich, Conn.). Lyne assisted Olivia Johnson's (West Granby, Mass.) goal at the 16:44 mark that put the Bantams up 3-0 before Bates chipped away at the lead. Two goals by Bobcat Moriah Greenstein (Glenmont, N.Y.) sandwiched around a free-position goal by Drew Barry (Portland, Maine) sent the game into the half knotted at three.

Bates struck first in the second half on a goal from Alex Briody (North Kingstown, R.I.) that gave the Bobcats their first lead of the afternoon. Trinity junior Karly Simpson (South Hadley, Mass.) answered six minutes later before another goal from Lyne three minutes later gave the Bantams back the lead, 5-4. With 11:45 to play, Greenstein tallied her third goal of the game to tie things back up at five all.

Trinity's defense, led by senior co-captain Ashley Stewart (Dover, Mass.) and junior Lara Guida (Mendham, N.J.), held stout for the remaining 11 minutes of play to keep Bates from scoring again. Stewart won three draw controls to go along with a caused turnover and ground ball while Guida led the team with four ground balls. Lyne found the back of the net for the game-winning goal at the 8:27 mark on a free-position shot that she rifled past Jeffrey.

Senior goalie Emily Mooney (New York, N.Y.) earned the win in net for the Bantams, making two saves, causing one turnover, and scooping a ground ball in 30 minutes of action. Sophomore goalie Zoe Ferguson (Ridgewood, N.J.) started in net for Trinity and tallied four stops in the first 30 minutes.

The Bantams return to action next Saturday, March 23, for a NESCAC tilt at Tufts scheduled for 12 noon.